dvd players stretch 4:3 content

[pRS317]

after having problems with my old dvd player being flaky, i decided to get a replacement to get me through until blu-ray drops in price. i'm on my second try this week only to find out that i can't get a disc with 4:3 content to play with the black bars on the sides...is there something i'm missing? i didn't need to adjust any settings with my old player as it would auto detect the format and play it accordingly. i've tried the philips divx player and now a magnavox version that plays divx...both were sub $50 players with progressive scan (my old player had progressive scan, also.)

the tv is an older hdtv with component in, so i can't go the hdmi route. any buying suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[cmdrdredd]

does your TV or the player have an option for stretch? Turn that off if so. Try setting the TV to 4:3 and not 16:9? Some DVD players have an option to set the output mode as pan & scan, letterbox, or whatnot.

Other than that I don't know.

 

[pRS317]

none of the options corrects the problem. i just got off the phone with tech support for the second one and they gave me the same answer that was given to me for the first one. they say that there should be an option on the dvd that changes it :\ i know there must be a dvd player other than my old one that can apply the setting without having to go through a menu...i guess the search will continue!

 

[cmdrdredd]

Just a note...4:3 is pretty much dead anymore with everything moving to HD or at least widescreen. It could be an oversight on the part of the manufacturer.

 

[pRS317]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
Just a note...4:3 is pretty much dead anymore with everything moving to HD or at least widescreen. It could be an oversight on the part of the manufacturer.

agreed, but for older tv shows and the baby einstein stuff, 4:3 is it. i just don't want my child to grow trying to learn shapes that are distorted